Over the past decades, it has become clear that cells die in an ordered fashion during normal development. This ordered scheme of dying is a very well conserved process termed programmed cell death or apoptosis.
Apoptosis serves as a major mechanism for removal of unwanted and potentially dangerous cells, such as virus-infected cells, self-reacting cells and tumor cells (Lockshin and Zakeri, Nat Rev Mol Cell Bio, (2) p 545-50, 2001). Many hyperproliferative diseases, including cancer, are caused by dysfunction in the apoptotic process allowing continued growth of unwanted cells.
It appears that one way of treating hyperproliferative diseases would be by influencing directly the mechanisms by which the cell regulates and effects apoptosis, and even to induce specifically an apoptotic response in hyperproliferative cells. Indeed, the capacity to induce an apoptotic response in tumor cells might determine the efficacy of the treatment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of treating hyperproliferative diseases.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of treating hyperproliferative diseases by influencing directly the mechanisms by which the cell regulates and effects apoptosis.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of treating hyperproliferative diseases by inducing specifically an apoptotic response in hyperproliferative cells.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide compounds for use in the above-mentioned methods.